Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Jan;22(1):17-22.
doi: 10.1007/s00192-010-1248-4. Epub 2010 Aug 25.

A randomized controlled trial of antenatal pelvic floor exercises to prevent and treat urinary incontinence

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial of antenatal pelvic floor exercises to prevent and treat urinary incontinence

Po-Chun Ko et al. Int Urogynecol J. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: the aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of antenatal pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) in the prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum period.

Methods: three hundred women were randomly assigned to the PFME group and control group. Urinary symptoms were measured by Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7), and question of self-reported urinary incontinence. Questionnaire scores of the PFME and the control groups were compared and analyzed.

Results: during late pregnancy and the postpartum period, the PFME group had significantly lower total UDI-6 and IIQ-7 scores; their self-report rate of urinary incontinence was also less than the control group. Additionally, we found whether in PFME or control, women who delivered vaginally were more likely to develop postpartum urinary leakage than women who delivered by cesarean section.

Conclusions: PFME applied in pregnancy is effective in the treatment and prevention of urinary incontinence during pregnancy, and this effect may persist to postpartum period.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990 Sep;97(9):770-9 - PubMed
    1. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2006 Sep;17(5):525-30 - PubMed
    1. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2009 Mar;20(3):295-300 - PubMed
    1. Obstet Gynecol. 2001 Dec;98(6):1004-10 - PubMed
    1. N Engl J Med. 2003 Mar 6;348(10):900-7 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources